COLORING
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THE LINES

WHO ARE YOU? 

Okay, my name is Becka, and my last name is Fan. I'm from Southern California, around the suburbs of LA or Orange County, OC. I tattoo for work.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO ART?

C: 'Cause I know from tattooing, most people start from traditional art and then travel into tattooing. Just talk about your journey to getting into the tattoo space and your journey within art. 

It is such a long journey because I feel when people ask about, oh, who are you, or anything, my first identity that comes into mind is I'm an artist, and I have been my whole life. As far as I can remember, I have always liked drawing. And growing up, someone pointed out to my mom, hey, your daughter colors within the lines. That's pretty interesting, you should probably should go check that out. (laughing) And so she started to take it a bit more seriously and enrolled me in traditional art classes while I was growing up. So, my background is mostly in fine traditional art. Then, I went to a middle school/high school for art, Orange County School of the Arts. So we do academics in the morning and whatever major you were at night or in the evening. So that's when I started to get into all sorts of media imaginable. And so, I did a lot of art growing up, but for college, I didn't major in art. I was an animal science major. I was going to be a veterinarian. So, for four years, I didn't do any art. But after I graduated, I was like, no, I'm gonna follow what I really wanna do. And so that's when tattooing came in. It was never really like a set goal I had in mind. It just naturally kind of happened. And so I'm very grateful for it.



E:  Do you wanna elaborate on how it naturally kind of happened? 

So, I was a UX designer before becoming a tattoo artist. And that's because when I was graduating college and knew I didn't wanna be a veterinarian anymore, I was dating a CS major. And his parents were like, "Hey, you should go into CS." And I'm like, "Nah." But there must be someone designing the interfaces, so maybe I can do that. So that's when I got into UX design. After college, I worked really briefly as a UX designer. But a month after moving to New York, I got laid off. And so I could, at the time, just like, oh, I could apply for more jobs, but it just seemed really competitive. The market doesn't seem really good right now. Super oversaturated 'cause everyone wants to do UX design or be in tech. So that's when I started to think, "Wait, why don't I just tattoo? "Like that would be cool." It's something that I've kind of always thought of in the back of my head. And I just thought, "Yeah, why not? "Let me just try it out." And so that's how it happened.

E: Dude, that almost happened to me too. I was dating a CS major, and she said, "You should go into UX design 'cause you like design."  It’s a universal pipeline.



PARENTS APPROVAL?

C: You mentioned your parents started taking your art more seriously in middle school. Then, you went to college to study animal science. How did they feel about that switch from graduating from a four year college in animal science to tattooing?

So, my parents actually don't know I’m a tattoo artist.

C: So what do they think you do? 

They think I'm a UX designer. 

(Collective gasp.)

E: You're living Hannah Montana's life right now. (laughing) 

No, I live a very risky life now that I think about it. But yeah, so they knew I went into UX. They were like, "Okay, if you don't wanna be a veterinarian, "then yeah, at least make the decision now vs later on in your life." But my dad still pokes at my potential to be a vet, even though that's so far gone in my brain. I think it's just more traditional so it's closer to what they want. And I know he's hoping for the best for me, but they think I do UX design. They're kind of indifferent about it. But when I started tattooing, because I didn't really know how feasible it really was and how long term it really could be, I was very hesitant in telling them. Also I was hesitant about telling them that I got laid off 'cause I didn't want them to worry. Just because we're immigrants. At the end of the day, me getting laid off, they can't really provide me with anything to help with that. They don't know anything about the corporate world or anything like that, so I thought it would worry them because I had just moved to New York then. So I just kind of did my thing, and now I've been tattooing for a while, but I still struggle to know when the proper time to bring it up is just because it's such a nontraditional job. I think within the Asian community, it's still kind of taboo and frowned upon a little bit.

E: I just went home for the first time in half a year and had two tattoos, and my mom was freaking out.  Oh, she saw them for the first time.  Yeah, she was like, "Are they fake?" And I was like, "No, they're not."

What did she say? Was she mad? 

E: She was mad but said,  "At least they look cool." But she doesn't like tattoos, yeah.  So she was like,  "Okay,  no more."  But I'm gonna get more. How did your parents feel Chris?

C:  It's been four years, and my parents still don't know.

Really?  Yeah.  Do you just have that one?

C: I have two. I just wear longer shirts. I went to the Philippines wearing long sleeves or my baggiest shirt because my parents are religious. So they're like, "Oh, you're staining your body."



PERCEPTIONS OF TATTOOS?

C: Which brings me to my next question. Growing up in a Taiwanese household, what are your family's perceptions of tattoos?

I guess there are cultural and generational differences. I think it's more associated with gangs from their time, right? And so I think they don't see it as art. They see it as, "Oh, you're kind of with the wrong crowd or doing something a little suspicious or not good." So I think that's why they also have difficulty accepting it. It's just generational and cultural differences. So growing up, I kind of knew, they probably wouldn't like that. But how I got into it was, I remember very distinctly in high school, 'cause I went to art school, right? So my best friend, she's also an artist. She's also coincidentally a tattoo artist right now too. And in high school we would just be in class scrolling through Instagram to see the coolest tattoo artists worldwide, like Korea, Europe, or whatever. And, like, just freak out over how amazing their art is. I think tattooing is a whole new level of art because it's so hard to do something on the skin. You can do it on paper, but skin is so different. There are so many different techniques, colors, and styles. So we would like to discuss it or send it to each other. And I think that's when we started to really get into tattoos when we were young. Then we got our first tattoo together, a matching tattoo from Korea when we visited together after graduation. 

E: Which one is it?

It's this one right here. Yeah, I love it. Very famous artist too. So we both got it, but at the time, my friend was doing fashion; she wanted to be in the fashion world. And I went to school to study animal science. So it's very interesting how we kind of took a detour and came back together loving tattoos and being tattoo artists. So I think she's also been a tattoo artist for two to three years. So I think seeing her journey and realizing, hey, like it's something possible, gave me inspiration and courage to also do the same.

C: That's good that you had a person not to follow but popping up with you simultaneously. 

E: For you, going from veterinary science to tattooing is such a huge difference, but would you say there was anything from those four years you spent in college that you picked up that you felt was important? Where did you go?

I went to UC Davis.

E:  Oh my God, there's nothing out there.

Yeah, exactly. That's why it's such a good school for veterinary sciences. It’s a very small town, they're known for animal science, veterinary sciences. So I don't think anything I learned really applies to the things I do now, but I don't regret any of the life experiences and choices I've made in the past, 'cause they just like, you know, got me to where I am now.. So yeah, I would always carry what I learned from that time. And even if that learning was, I don't wanna be a vet, you know, then I've tried that route, and it's okay, cool, I didn’t like it. So, it helped me to lead me to where I am. 

E: Those learnings of that time is a wise way to say it.

I don't know, college was not that memorable.



HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR STYLE?

C: From traditional art to tattooing, your style resembles a fine line style. Is it because of your background in traditional art that you chose that style? How did you create your style?

That's kind of a hard question.  I think it's just when you see an artist, they look like their art, don't you think?  Yeah. And I think I look a little bit similar to my art, stylistically feminine and a fine line, dainty style. I naturally gravitate towards that because I guess that's who I am. But I don't think my style is completely a reflection of me yet. I think I'm still figuring out what I wanna tattoo next and what kind of tattoos I want to do next. I think that takes time to develop. So I see it as, I don't know, like this tattooing and this art represents me growing.  It's gonna change and evolve. So, I'm excited to see how it changes and becomes even better.

E: A huge part of the taboo of tattoos is their permanence. Were there any occasions where you ever messed up when tattooing on someone?

Of course, I think it's natural for a tattooist to mess up, 'cause we're not robots. Still, I think that the beauty of tattooing is that it's imperfect, and it's from one human to another. There's nothing more intimate than me digging a needle into your skin, right? So I think it is natural to mess up, but the mess up isn't too crazy, you know, it's just more like, oh, I could have done that even better maybe, but I honor every piece as it is. Every tattoo I've given to someone, it's just like, that is what I've given you. For each tattoo it is genuinely from my heart, & it’s the best I've given you in that moment. But yeah, and I think every mistake is for learning because when I was first starting off, it was a humbling experience because I think tattooing is a tricky medium. It's actually very difficult, just because it's such a medium that, you know, there's so much you can still improve and learn every time. So I think all the mistakes I've experienced are just to make me better and understand how the medium works, how the skin is, and things like that. Does that answer the question?

E: That answered it pretty well, yeah. I enjoyed your tidbit about how everyone will make mistakes regarding tattooing. 

Yeah, it's inevitable. And I think because it's not like any other medium at all, it's not, it's living, you know? So there's a reaction compared to, if I just drew on the paper, you know, let's say my drawing skills are up here, (Becka holds her hands up really high.) my tattooing skills are still here. (Becka holds up her hands a little lower.) It's getting better, but it's because it's such a difficult medium, you know, I can't fully do what I can do on paper yet.


INTERNET FAME?

C: So I've seen your TikTok; your recent TikTok has 11K views, and there's a lot of buzz around your art and style. And your Instagram also has a lot of followers. Did you ever feel your come up was thrust upon you a little too fast?  I feel like it's very popular among a certain crowd.

E: Which crowd?

Like TikTok girls. (laughing) 

C: Did you ever feel the internet boosted you a little bit too much before you were able to acclimate to the style of tattooing you'd like?

Oh yeah, definitely. I think that all the time because I'm so grateful for it because I think being an artist is like, there are so many amazing artists out there, but in a world where we're all fighting for recognition, it is so hard, right? The algorithm's like winning the lottery; it's almost how it feels. And I'm so grateful for it, but I think it happened so quickly, and now it felt like the first year I was just playing catch up. Oh my God, this is all happening so quickly. And I had so many times of imposter syndrome, and I still do, right? As I said, it's a skill that takes a long time to master. But I think now that I feel more confident in my skills as time has passed.



I'm so excited to see what other things I can do in the future. And that's why I'm saying my style is always changing.

E: We previously talked to another, well, he's kind of a multimedia artist, but our friend Brayan, who does tattoos, shout out to Brayan, but he talked about how, what you said, I know what you like. And he said, when he goes to LA to do tattoos, he's gonna make a flash where it's gonna be a lot of angels or like rosaries,  things that he knows will be popular with specifically the demographic in LA. And I guess he talked a little bit about how there was no shame in doing that, it's like, oh, you gotta pay the bills, you know? Right now, do you feel like you are inclined to create flashes that you know are going to get booked the most?

I do think tattooing is tricky, as a tattoo artist, because it's art that you're creating for yourself, but most importantly, for someone else as well. So there is that whole business aspect. And I learned that because, like you said, my style took off because there is a certain niche that I really like. So I was getting booked a lot and still have bookings like that, but I want to see what direction I can go. Still, the direction I want to go into may not be as popular as the style I'm in now, but I really want to do larger pieces. But I see artists that do that and it may not be as popular of a style. So it's very conflicting, but I don't think I will do it for what I know would be booked. I think naturally, when I do draw, I am just drawing what I like and think will look good. Or I’m just drawing things I want to draw or things I want to tattoo. And I think naturally other people will enjoy it too. And even if it's fewer people, I still want to go in that direction because when I'm tattooing, if I'm not genuinely as interested in the design, it's just that it's not as enjoyable to me. And I want to do things that I'm excited about. I really want to look forward to it because I love my job and want to continue loving it. I think naturally, my clientele will grow with me directionally, too. So Itry not to worry too much about what will be booked.



PAY SCALE?

C: You also mentioned that your notoriety was quickly thrust upon you. How did you, how were you able to figure out what your pay scale should be? Cause you're very, still very new, how many years?

One year.

C: How were you able to find the type of pay scale you thought you deserved? You also have to account for how new you are to this and like the clientele. How were you able to navigate that space?

I know what the general scale is in New York, but it's tough because the range is crazy.  I like to ask around if they're comfortable with telling me just so I can gauge, but the range is so big. It's really up to each artist, but I think when most people start as apprentices, there's typically a range that people know. So, I think I stuck to that range for a long time because I wasn’t and don't think I will ever feel fully confident in my work. So I always downplayed it, but I think it's been some time now. You know, I'm slowly trying to raise my price because I do think that, you know, while I almost feel bad charging people, it's also my job. Still, also I'm doing a disservice to myself as well as my client if I do undercharge them because I don't think, at the end of the day, it's what the artist thinks their work is worth, you know, and I don't want to see my work as something that I think is low either. So, yeah, it's tough because I think, being my own business owner, I'm very lenient. But then, I will have mentors tell me like, hey, you should be charging XYZ, you know?

C: Your minimum was like 175, right?

I think that's pretty fair. I try to work with people's budgets, too. Like I try to be open minded or I don't mind, you know, I would just like to tattoo you. So it's not super strict.

C: Do you have people that have ever tried to take advantage of your generosity? I guess you work with people's budgets. 'Cause I know some tattooers will be like flat yes or no when they're more established.  Have you ever had an experience where someone was really pushy?

Not anyone pushy but definitely situations that would cause me to stretch myself a bit at times. And I feel like, you know, that's because I allow that to happen. So I can't blame anyone. At the end of the day, I want someone to be happy with what they're getting. So it's hard to say no, especially because I am pretty new to tattooing, but I think it's important for artists to set their own boundaries because, other older artists I know do so. She's like, yeah, if someone gives me a budget, I would just be like, okay, so this is what you could get in that range. But I'm like, oh yeah, we can try to do that. So, I'm still learning how I want to navigate it. But for the most part, I think I just want to tattoo you. So it's not too big of a deal. Of course, if I think it's unreasonable, I would just let them know, like, hey, sorry. This is the best I can do for you here.



TATTOO SHOP?

E: How did you end up at the shop where you do tattooes now?

Oh, the shop. So before that, I was working out of my friend's private studio for a while. She's generous enough and nice enough to let me do that on the days she had off, 'cause she only tattoos on three or four days out of the week. So I took the other three days. But then it's a private studio. So it was just me and my client, which is really nice. But I wanted a sense of community. So, at the time, I knew someone who was apprenticing at the shop. And I reached out to her and said, hey, do you like the owner & she said yea. So then I reached out to him, and ‘cause I was only a couple of months into tattooing I asked to learn under him. And he was just like, I think your work is fine. But I said no, I want to be better. Then I ended up visiting the shop for a tour. And I was like, hey, so, how does the apprenticing go or whatever? And he says, no, I think you should just work here. Naturally, you will also gain more knowledge and skills as you work. So I said, okay, let me start working here! They're basically like my family now. Yeah, that's how it happened.




E: Why, huummmyyyy_ ?

So, my previous name was like complete nonsense. It was Crybaby Tiger.  Because I love the tiger, but also cry baby 'cause I'm like, oh, I'm a cry baby.  There’s an artist I really love and respect. And her name is Crybaby Rice Cake. So I was like wait, let me take that Crybaby.

E:  Oh, you stole her swag.

I did 'cause I think she's so cool and I do think Crybaby Tiger is very memorable. So I think it worked for a bit, but then I was like, oh, this is so cringe. So I wanted to change it for a very long time. But then, I didn't know what to come up with. So I just wanted a name that's nonsense. And there are people with usernames that are long, that have multiple characters. So I just thought about huummmyyyy because the machine hums. And then also-

C: Stop hating Ethan. He’s making a crazy face right now. (laughing) 

Why don't you make a new name for me? It's too late because I have seen multiple artists change their names. But they’ve only changed it once, so you can’t do it twice.

E: Have you seen her Instagram username? That shit is hard to remember.

Hey, it's easy to remember! 

E: How is that easy to remember?

'Cause it's two U's, three M's, four Y's. And then also like Hummy Soju. There's like soju that's like a seltzer. And then I'm like, I saw the name Hummy. I'm like, it's cute, whatever.  It’s nonsense!!!



SOCIAL ASPECT OF TATTOOS

C: Oh, anyways, back to the real questions before he started hating. Being a tattoo artist is very different from being a traditional artist because being social is big. How are you able to deal with that? 'Cause you must interact with your clients and draw a tattoo on them. And then I know most artists are very like, shut in, very quiet type of people. How are you able to balance that? 

This is a candid moment because I feel like, what if my clients read this and say, "Oh, she doesn't wanna talk to us." Yeah, no, I think when I first started out for the first few months, man, I was a yapper. Like every client, I think, especially 'cause I worked at the private studio. It's only us. But because of that, I got so close to so many clients, and we'll talk about everything. They'll tell me about, you know, drama, gossip. Everything was fair game. Like, I'm very open. So it was really fun. And I love getting to know clients like that. But I think it's because I work at a larger studio now where there are also other people. You know, I talk to my clients occasionally, but sometimes I just kind of feel out the vibe. If I'm tattooing them and it seems like they don’t really wanna talk it’s okay, then we can just lay back, you know? 'Cause I think some people just like chillin'. But if they seem like they wanna talk, then, you know, I'm also open to that. I try to make them feel comfortable, too, because I'm an artist.  So they might be slightly intimidated, not knowing how much I want to talk. So, at least, I try to ask them questions or gauge if they wanna talk. That way, they can feel free to ask me questions if they do. If not, then it's okay. We can just tattoo in peace, It's up to the person. 

E:  Was the jump to being only a full time tattoo artist very sudden? Was it like, I'm done with UX, I'm gonna go straight into tattooing? Or was there any kind of bridge between that where you were like, I'm just gonna work at a cafe or something?

Oh, I worked at a restaurant for a while.

C: What restaurant was it?

I worked at a KBBQ spot after I got laid off in February. It continued as I was transitioning into tattooing too, it took some time. I had to have a job, or I couldn't live here.

PROCESS OF CREATING FLASH?

C: You have a heavy basis on Flash and then do minimal custom work. I saw this from your frequently asked questions on your little website. What is the process of making a Flash sheet? What is, do you just sit down, or like, Nah, it's time to lock in, and you just draw 12 pieces or something?



Basically, yeah, I need to lock in because I need to open books, and I really want to make the decision easy for people. I think people love Flashes, and it's a great way for artists to communicate what they want to do and who they are. I just think it's a great way to gain more visitors and engagement. So, but I'm also like a procrastinator, so a week or two before, I'm like, okay, I need to lock in. But I usually get a lot of inspiration from things I see on the internet, other artists, nature, media. I'm always looking at other people's works, too, and seeing like, hey, I really like how they did this, or I really like how they did that. Then I think that mental mesh of all the artists I appreciate just kind of becomes me, right? I take inspiration from many places and then just create something out of it.

WHATS NEXT?

C: You have any future goals for tattooing? Are there any future goals for Becka?

So, tattooing wise, I think it's simple. It's just like, get better. Like that's, every time, every day, I tell myself, get better. And so, it's just like drawing new styles, figuring out what I wanna do, drawing bigger pieces, discovering my style that way, trying new techniques even. Yeah, and I like practicing. I think with time, I just naturally get better. In terms of more set goals, I want to guest more, like guests in other states. I'm gonna guest in Seattle in August, so that's really cool. But I think eventually, I really wanna guess, like in Europe, or somewhere international.

And in terms of personal goals, I really wanna focus on creating more of my community here in New York. I've built it pretty well recently, but I've only been here for a year and a half. I think my first year here was tough and a little bit lonely because I didn't know anyone. I'm more introverted, so I think I'm very comfortable alone. But it wasn't until recently, in the past few months, when I really started to open up to the people around me, that it just made the experience so much more enjoyable.



WHY DO YOU CREATE?

Hmmmmmmm. I'm so curious how other people have answered this?

E:  Dude, Francisco said, the last guy we talked to, Francisco, he said something so poetic, and then some people were just like, 'cause it's cool.

Why do I create? I think it's just who I am. I told my friend before I didn't know why I was here on this earth but was here to create. And I feel so much joy when I do, and that is, like I said, my identity, first and foremost, as an artist or a creator. I think of art as my first and true love in life. I feel like things come and go, but the one constant in my life has always been art. Growing up, I knew I loved art, and I always will. So it's a constant of who I am, and that's why I create.

C: Any shoutouts you wanna hit?

Shout out to my studio, Hello Ink. Shout out to my mentors, Joe and Zihan. And shout out to one of my best friends, Ze. She's a tattoo artist, and you can check her out. Her name is, or her instagram is @silky.rabbit. And all my friends, obviously, because I'm nothing without my friends and their support.



HUUUGE THANKS TO BECKA FOR THIS! WHY DONT YOU GO & BOOK A TATTOO WITH HER? WE CAN VOUCH.  FOLLOW HER !!!! - e&c*

CREDITS

SUBJECT/BRAND : BECKA FAN @huummmyyyy_

PHOTOGRAPHER :  E&C* @acediastudios

MODEL : BECKA FAN @huummmyyyy_

EDITOR: E&C* @acediastudios

TEXT : E&C* @acediastudios